This will be a relatively short post. Two reasons why: He is doing fairly well, and I nearly forgot to post. Since the last post, he has seen his surgeon for the swallowing problems. He went in for a dilation and was immediately eating better. At the time of endoscopy, which showed no signs of cancer, he also had a bronchoscopy done.

His lungs had a little fluid in them that they determined to be from silent aspiration. He was eating too closely to when he was sleeping. Now, as he is trying to pay attention to that restriction, and taking his stomach emptying medication (Reglan/metoclopramide) regularly, he still coughs in the morning but it is not so bad. He has had fewer episodes of waking from aspiration, too.

He has also really realized that he still healing. He has helped shovel small amounts of snow twice since the new year. I will be doing most of the shoveling this season, but he insists on helping. He cannot do as much, not nearly as much, as he has in years past. No longer has the staying power to do it all.

Even now, as I type this up, I am looking over at him sleeping. He wanted me to rub his back as it has been itchy. I will not wake him up to do it though, so he may have to wait until tomorrow. He is sleepier than he realizes, and pushes himself as hard as possible every day, toeing that line of doing too much.

Continuing Forward

Unfortunately, he says that he is already feeling the food sticking again. I will have him contact his surgeon to see how often he can have a dilation if he needs it. No choking right now. He is just at the beginning of feeling it. I will keep an eye on him, and make sure he does not wait overly long.

Hopefully, we can make it until March. That is our next goal. First post op scans are in March. That is when we hope to see him be no evidence detected (NED). NED is what we hope for him to be for 5+ years and beyond.

Every single day is a new trial. Most days are good. Most days lack overt stress. I think that I retain some measure of stress due to all of this even on the best of days. I know that he is trying his best to just focus on continuing to have a normal life. I support that goal wholeheartedly.

Until next update for him, I hope everyone is well. I do not know how many readers I have for these updates, but I will continue to post them. <3